Jammu, October 06: After having missed so many deadlines before, the Jammu Airport has one again missed another deadline of September-2015 for the prolonged expansion project. Missing of deadlines simply reflects the coldness of all the successive government towards the development of winter capital of the state and how these crucial projects are always subjected to delays with no ends.

The Jammu Airport needs expansion because of the fact that the standard size of an airstrip is 9,000 feet, while in Jammu it is just 6,770 feet. With the shorter runway, there is always a big risk of mishaps, especially during rain and fog in winters and windstorms. It makes Jammu Airport the second most critical Airport in the country.

As reported in a leading daily, the Army and the State Government has signed an agreement which states that some 140 Kanal of land falls under Army Jurisdiction will be vacated by Army and the Army will be provided another piece of state land measuring 138 Kanals at Sunjawan.

According to the sources, the process of shifting of the army installations to the new site is yet to be completed.

Additional Deputy Commissioner, Jammu, Anuradha Gupta when asked about the delay in the project explains that the delay is the result of some internal issues with the army which has now been resolved. She said, “Army was not allowing laborers to enter inside the Satwari Cantonment premises pertaining to security issues, but now the holdup have been cleared and the work is going on in full swing.”

She added that the ongoing expansion work is closely being reviewed by CM Mufti Mohammad Sayeed who has directed the concerned departments to work with full energy and complete the task within the fixed period.